It is a requirement within the law for political parties to ensure women are nominated to meet the two third gender representation in County assemblies, National and Senate.
However, nominated Members of County assemblies have continued to face numerous challenges despite the law being in place.
In Nakuru County for instance, nominated MCAs in the second assembly since the inception of devolution have had it tough in the House.
At one particular time, they were stripped of lucrative committee positions and were now at loggerheads with their 55 elected counterparts leading to a deepened division in the County assembly of Nakuru.
The matter was taken to court through the help of National Gender and Equality Commission and the court rule in their favor leading to their reinstatement in various committees
Nominated MCA Alice Kering attributes the suffering of the nominated MCAs to the fact that majority of the Nominated MCAs have continued to be seen as the voice of the vulnerable in the society leading to their popularity growth.
Kering, who is also the Minority Whip having been nominated by the ODM party, says the male counterparts have continued to demoralize their spirit of service to the people.
She notes that for them in politics, they have received all sorts of humiliation especially during campaigns from their male counterparts.
“For women in politics, it is not easy especially in this patriarchal society and the male chauvinism. During campaigns, men try to brand us with all sorts of names. During politics women and girls are at risk” she said.
Kering confirmed to this writer that some senior party officials take advantage of women with some requesting for sexual favors in order to get nominations.
This, she says has seen a number of nominated MCAs being falsely branded names as they are seen as sex tools.
She is however quick to note, such ills can be addressed through a collective responsibility where rights of women in politics are safeguarded.
“We have had problems even in the assembly with some of us being branded as sex tools. I think it is high time that we respect women in politics and strive to safeguard their rights” she said.
But despite the many challenges that they are facing in the political arena, the Nominated MCAs in Nakuru have continued to go about with their charity work despite having no kitty as compared to their elected counterparts.
Under their caucus, they have been able to distribute sanitary towels as well as reach out with donations to the vulnerable in the society.
Dundori’s Nominated MCA Rose Njoroge states, “We cannot be silenced by our male counterparts and we shall do all we can to reach out to the vulnerable in the society” she said.
As an indicator that they are in support of their fellow women in leadership, during the impeachment motion against the then Roads Executive Lucy Wanjiku, they stood against the motion despite their number not making it for her.
Besides the nominated MCAs, generally women in the political field have continued to experience worst scenarios.
In the just concluded party primaries, Nakuru Town West UDA’s parliamentary aspirant Francisca Kamuren told journalists how she was humiliated and her supporters allegedly threatened by her competitors on the day they were to come out and vote.
She noted that the chaos caused by ‘paid youths’ was not good for her political space leading to her losing in the primaries to her competitor.
“I cannot accept the outcome of the whole exercise as it was marred with various irregularities” she said.
In a separate interview, Grace Karuga who is in the race for the Nakuru Town East Parliamentary seat on a Kanu ticket says women in the political arena face a lot of challenges.
Karuga who seems to be the only female in the race for the seat that has attracted several male politicians including Nakuru County Assembly Speaker Joel MainaKairu, former Nakuru Mayor Benson Mwangi and the incumbent David Gikaria, says women in politics should be fully supported.
According to her, many women in politics lack the financial muscles and their security is at threat.
“For any woman in politics, the field is not easy. Our male counterparts have all the resources and muscles” she said.
Similar sentiments were echoed by Njoro MP Charity Kathambi who went against all odds to defeat male counterparts in the UDA Party primaries.
Kathambi who is serving her first term says she has been able to counter all the propaganda and stereotypes bestowed upon her by her male competitors.
“Politics is not easy especially when you are a woman but I have put on the full armor to fight it out with my male counterparts. I thank the people of Njoro for having faith in me” said Kathambi after clinching the UDA ticket.
They are just but a voice of the many women in politics who have continued to go through hardship conditions to make in the field that is male dominated.
Faith Muiruri, a consultant with African Woman and Child Feature Service says the society should embrace women in political space.
Speaking in Nakuru during a sensitization workshop for journalists on sensitive reporting during the election period, Muiruri also appealed to Journalists to be champions towards safeguarding the rights of women who venture into politics.
“My appeal to journalists to be in the forefront in safeguarding the rights of women in politics. Give them that space to air their views and what they are going through” she said.
Similar sentiments echoed by Peter Rono from Centre for Transformational Leadership- an organization that is currently implementing a project dubbed ‘TUSHIRIKI’ with an aim of ensuring women, youth, persons living with disability and minority groups are included in the political process.
Rono says the project also targets Political parties to ensure women get their slots when it comes to nominations as outlined in the Constitution.
“We just want to ensure that women get the slots meant for them and this we can only achieve if we involve the political parties” said Rono.
This even as it manifests as a plus to women in politics as Independent, Electoral and Boundaries Commission-IEBC has called on political parties to ensure that they adhere to the two-thirds Gender Rule.
Chair WafulaChebukati says those that will not adhere to the same in the nomination lists risk being locked out of the August 9 Polls.
